BetterU

BetterU is an online programme of at-home ketamine therapy with integration coaching, run from Los Angeles for clients in a long list of US states, Nevada among them. A clinician prescribes ketamine lozenges after a video consultation, and clients take them at home.

Approach

Treatment starts with a two-minute online assessment. A licensed clinician then meets the client by video, reviews health history, lifestyle and goals, and sets a personal programme. The medication arrives by post, followed by a 15-minute preparation call with a certified integration guide. Sessions follow at home, with virtual integration coaching afterwards and breathwork, meditation and protocols in a member portal. The company describes its method as ketamine treatment combined with exercises drawn from CBT and psychodynamic therapy. Derek Du Chesne is founder and chief executive, and Janette Leal, MD, is medical director.

Who it is for

BetterU presents the programme as an alternative for people whose medication or therapy has not been enough, naming depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD and chronic stress. Anyone without a quiet, private space at home can book in-office ketamine in Los Angeles instead.

Practical details

Packages run from five sessions for $500 to nine for $792, or fifteen sessions with three coaching sessions for $1,350. Medication is delivered, and a starter kit includes a blood pressure cuff. Ketamine sessions are not covered by insurance, though payment plans are offered.

Care and safety

A clinician must accept each client into the programme, and the treatment protocol in the member portal is mandatory before and after every session. The company says a peer support person should be present during sessions. It notes that ketamine is approved by the FDA as an anaesthetic and that prescribing it for depression and anxiety is off-label. Medical questions go to the client’s clinician through round-the-clock messaging.